Machines
by DeadLight63
Summary: Emily and Lena were just supposed to be getting Winston a birthday present. But... Then someone showed up. Someone who rose strange questions about Lena's past.
1. Gifts

**A/N Please read the Author's Note at the end of this story. I'm not sure how long this story will go on. But this is one I feel I have to finish.**

Emily chuckled and rolled her eyes as Lena quickly blinked forward, pressing up against the glass like she was a giddy child on Christmas Eve. Truth be told, she could probably use that description to describe her friend in any situation. She'd been that way since they were kids in primary school, and she was actually glad to see that the behavior hadn't faded considering Lena's new background.

"Maybe this one! Oh, Winston would just love this! It's just perfect!" Lena shouted in excitement as she gave a small jump and clapped her hands together. The sudden movement was actually enough to shake loose a few droplets of rain that had accumulated on her trademark Tracer jacket. Funny, Emily thought. The saying was that April showers brought May flowers, but she swore that it rained more in March then it did in April. Still, what did she know. A few other pedestrians stopped to momentarily observe Lena's actions as Emily began walking towards her, though it wasn't long before they moved on.

"Lena, you've said that about the last three things we looked at." She said as she walked up beside her. With Winston's birthday coming up, her girlfriend had been ravenously scouring London for the "perfect gift" for their beloved friend. The only problem was that Lena was a little overzealous when it came to gifts, and would probably spend hundreds on a single person if she was allowed. Of course, this wasn't really an option for them, considering that while Lena made good money, and Emily worked a very comfortable job as a columnist, they couldn't spend that kind of money every time one of Lena's countless friends had a birthday. Lena turned to Emily with a massive smile on her face, excitement beaming from it as she lightly bounced in place.

"Just look at it luv'! It's screaming his name so loud I can hardly stand it! We have to at least check it out!" She said. Emily smiled at Lena and turned to look at the item in question. As she did, she actually chuckled a little bit, seeing a massive stuffed plushie of a peanut. On the peanut were big goofy eyes, a small top hat, a big toothy smile, and big outstretched arms. Emily crossed her arms and observed the stuffed toy, considering it.

"Well, it definitely says something." She said with a light chuckle in her voice. Looking back over to her, Emily watched as Lena turned towards her and threw her arms out in exasperation, her chrono accelerator glowing brighter than normal.

"Oh come on! It's perfect! Besides, Winston's been alone so long at Gibraltar! This would at least let him know we're thinking of him!" As she finished this sentence, she brought her hands together and gave her a set of sad eyes, even throwing in a quivering bottom lip. Emily rose her eyebrows as she noticed her girlfriend giving soft "crying" noises.

"Can't we get it for him?" She asked in a faked sad voice. Emily closed her eyes and laughed again as she shook her head.

"Lena..." She said as she opened her eyes back up. Lena only furthered her efforts, adding a sad little whimper in addition to her previous actions. Emily sighed and adjusted her scarf as she stuck her hands in her pockets and looked back to the plushie. The big goofy eyes stared back at her, the smile making it harder for her to try and play responsible. She had to admit, it was an adorable little toy, almost as big as the both of them. Perhaps it would be a good gift for the big guy. After all, there were few things he loved more than peanut butter. Maybe if they added a little tag with a message? He probably wouldn't use it much, but still, it would be nice for him to have a little piece to know they were thinking of him.

"Oh who am I kidding..." She finally said aloud to herself as she turned back to her girlfriend. Lena cracked a smile at these words and shifted her hands to her palms, her brown eyes beaming with joy. Emily simply nodded and smiled to her. Lena's smile grew wider as she excitedly bounced on her toes.

"It's perfect." She admitted. Lena shouted in elation as she pumped her fists at her side, gaining another small laugh from Emily.

"Yes! I knew it! Come on! Let's go get it before it gets sold out!" She said, grabbing hold of Emily's hand. Emily smiled as Lena lead her frantically inside the store, a small bell signaling their entrance. When Lena released her hand to grab the toy, Emily walked over to the counter, where what looked like a , young, new employee was being trained by a manager. The manager wore a deep blue shirt as opposed to the kid's almost neon blue shirt. Emily nodded and gave a greeting, getting their attention. The young employee smiled back at her and placed his hands on the register as the manager folded his hands together and stood beside him.

"Hello there ma'am! Welcome to Plush Haven, what can I get for you today?" He said with cheerful glee in his voice. Emily chuckled and placed her hands on the counter as she looked behind her, watching Lena struggle with the massive stuffed peanut, it's big arms flailing wildly as she tried to navigate the store. Emily turned back to the boy and motioned over to Lena.

"Well, I was wondering if I could get a price on the big peanut over there. Our friend has a birthday coming up." She explained to him. As she finished speaking, Lena plopped the peanut down onto the counter and grunted with effort. Emily smiled as Lena popped her head around the big toy and gave a breath of false exasperation.

"He loves peanut butter! This guy would be perfect for him!" She exclaimed loudly. Emily turned back to the employee, who nodded his head and began typing away.

"Absolutely ma'am! Let me just check that for you real quick, and I'll have a price ready to go!" He said. Emily nodded and moved the peanut to her left side, continuing to smile as she noticed Lena lightly bouncing excitedly. It was amazing how excited she got while searching for a gift, especially when a loved one was involved. Emily was about to ask her to calm down before she noticed something... odd. Among the other customers in the store, one of them seemed to be staring right at her and Lena. The person in question appeared of about average height with brown hair and a simple jacket. But the strange thing was that she seemed to be staring with hate at them. It freaked her out, if she was being honest. She tried putting it aside, assuring herself that it was nothing as the cashier rung her up a price.

However, even as she prepared her payment, Emily couldn't shake the uneasy feeling, and looked back to where she saw the other customer. To her slight distress, the customer was now walking right up to them, staring daggers at Lena, who seemed completely oblivious to the woman. Emily tried again to ignore it, assuming maybe that she was dissatisfied with a toy, but she couldn't help but feel that wasn't the case. Just as the cashier took the cash from her, Emily smiled and gave a sigh, looking back over to the customer. Still walking towards Lena. Her smile slipped slightly as she tapped her fingers along the counter, no longer feeling comfortable in the store. Lena seemed to pick up on this, and looked over to Emily with concern in her eyes, though she still had her smile spread across her features.

"You alright luv'?"Emily wasn't quite sure how to answer that question. She didn't want to worry Lena, but at the same time, was this something to be worried about? Screw it, she had to tell her. The customer was getting really close now, and she was starting to worry that she was going to attack Lena. Just as she was about to speak up, a gruff, bitter voice called out.

"Lena Oxton." Was all it said, but even with that, it was enough to wipe the smile from Lena's face. Emily frowned as she looked behind her, the other customer now right next to her. Lena turned to face the stranger, and backed away slightly, almost as if she was afraid. She recoiled a bit further, prompting Emily to step forward and catch her. Lena regained her composure after this, and inhaled deeply.

"Ms. Hardol, how funny seeing you here!" She said in her usual cheerful tone. The woman, who Emily now suspected was this Ms. Hardol, simply crossed her arms and glared at her angrily. Attempting to defuse the situation, Emily smiled and offered her hand out.

"Hello, I don't think we've met. My name's Emily, I'm one of Lena's friends." She said. Hardol turned her icy glare towards Emily, sending shivers down her spine. He cold blue eyes seemed to generate malice and malcontent, as if she were staring at a child murderer or a thief.

"Oh I'm sure you are. I remember that little scarf that Oxton was trying so desperately to get on Christmas Eve. I should have figured it would go to someone like you... Little wanker never could pick her mates right..." She responded with her oddly disturbing voice. Emily slowly lowered her hand and backed away slightly, now completely unnerved by this woman in front of her. The manager narrowed his eyes as he crossed his arms, the kid at the register watching the scene, obviously uncomfortable. Lena seemed to grow slightly aggravated by this response, and stood up straight as she crossed her arms.

"Hey, there's no need to be twit about this." Hardol scoffed at this.

"Oh please, I should have figured that even after that little tin can kicked the bucket you'd still just bang something awful." The woman responded. Emily's eyes widened at this as Lena's grip around her arms seemed to tighten. Emily gulped and stepped forward, hoping to keep things from getting worse. If Lena was getting angry, things could only get worse if she didn't step in. Lena didn't get angrily easily, but when she did...

"Easy now, let's just calm down, I don't think anyone wants a..."

"Shut your mouth you insufferable berk!" Hardol shouted angrily. Lean growled as Emily recoiled from this. A berk? What had she even said? What was going on with this woman, why did she seem to hate her so much? At this point, the manager clenched his fists as he placed his hands on the counter, obviously angry a the woman for such a baseless insult.

"If you're just going to insult my customers and be a total lazy sod, you can get out of my store." He said in a firm voice. Hardol scoffed and looked to Lena one last time, and gave a light smirk.

"Well, at least this time you're not screwing a metal box." She said with malice and contempt in her voice. Without another action, Lena launched her fist forward faster than anyone could react. The punch landed squarely in the woman's face, a sickening crunch sounding as her fist connected. Emily jumped slightly from the sudden action as Hardol backed away and grabbed her nose while exclaiming in pain. Emily finally had a look at Lena's face now, and she was livid. He features had completely shifted, from jolly and beautiful to bitter and red. Her teeth were clenched as she held her fist at her side. The manager stepped forward and slammed on his hands on the counter before pointing at Hardol, clearly outraged.

"That's enough! You! Out of the store now! You are not welcome here!" He shouted. The woman growled angrily as she nursed her now broken nose, and bitterly walked out the front door. Lena's eyes followed her until the woman exited the store, her eyes still full of anger. Concerned, Emily grabbed Lena's hand and gently rubbed it with her thumb. Lena looked to Emily at this action, and calmed down somewhat, sighing before she put her hands in her jacket pocket, and looked to the manager.

"Can we just get our change, please?" She asked in a sullen voice. Emily looked at her girlfriend with worry now. Was she sad? It must have had something to do with what Hardol had said. What had that woman been talking about when she said a metal box, and why did she seem so bitter about it? As she pondered this, the manager placed the change on the counter and apologized for the inconvenience before asking that Lena allow security to handle matters like that from now on. Lena sighed and nodded, grabbing the stuffed peanut and walking out the door, leaving Emily to quickly follow her.

"Lena!" She called out as she tried to get her attention. Lena simply kept walking however, holding the peanut at her side. Emily quickly ran up to her, now very concerned.

"Lena, hey, what was that about?" She asked as Lena kept walking, giving no indication of slowing down as the gentle rain from gentle pelted down on them.

"I don't want to talk about it." Lena replied. Emily sighed as she ran her hand through her hair, now more than worried about her girlfriend. Lena was one of the sweetest and loving people she knew, no, scratch that, THE sweetest and most loving. So how in the world had that woman mentioning a "metal box" have gotten her so riled up? Was it possible she was referring to an omnic? If that was the case, then what kind? Looking back to Lena, Emily grabbed hold of her hand as she tried to look her in the eyes.

"Well, can you at least tell me what that "metal box" talk was about?" She asked. Lean froze at these words, ceasing her movement in the middle of the cross walk. Emily noticed that her eyes seemed to be distant, as if she were recalling something, but what? Emily gently rubbed her hand as Lena looked at her, revealing something even more strange. Sadness, but not just any sadness, the kind of sadness that comes from a loss. Emily smiled sympathetically at her as she looked down slightly, seeming to be in pain.

"Lena?" Emily said in a gentle voice. Lena sighed and closed her eyes as her hand tightened around Emily's. Finally, she spoke.

"Let's talk back at the apartment..."


	2. Stories

Emily carefully poured tea into the small cup she had prepared for her and Lena. Upon arriving home, Emily had wanted to give Lena some time to calm down, since she could tell she was still angry and hurt from earlier. She had also taken the liberty of preparing some tea, since that always helped her feel better. As Emily had found, stereotype or not, tea had a way of calming people down and putting them at ease. So, it was with this thought that she finished pouring the beverage into the second cup, careful not to spill it. Setting down the kettle, she gently picked up the tray and moved into the sitting room as she wondered what that woman meant by "metal box". Likely, she was referring to the robot omnics, who many considered to be second class citizens, only existing to serve humans. Of course, others didn't believe that, herself and Lena being one of them. As such, Emily wasn't surprised that Lena would date an Omnic, she certainly had the kind heart to.

As she slowly entered, she was disheartened to find Lena sitting beside the peanut plushie, looking severely downcast. Her girlfriend had discarded her jacket beside the sofa, her chrono accelerator now set aside beside the small coat rack. Emily had never seen Lena like this, and couldn't help but worry that whatever this woman had brought back up was something terrible. With a sad smile, Emily sat beside her friend and offered her a cup. To her disappointment, even the tea didn't seem to help much, as Lena simply grabbed her cup and gave a soft blow before taking a cautious sip. Emily sighed and folded one leg over the other as she folded her hands together. Lena gave a brief look to her, and gave a small smile.

"Thanks luv'." She said. Emily smiled and nodded in response, allowing Lena to take another sip. Leaning back against the couch slightly, Emily tapped her finger against her leg as she pondered what to say next. Should she just come out and ask? Or should she just try to ease into it? Lena was already in a bad place, she didn't want to make things worse for her... Mentally groaning, she leaned back forward and debated with herself as she watched her own cup of tea, the steam from her drink gently swirling up into the air. Come on... just ask it, she thought to herself. She wouldn't be doing either of them any good if she just danced around the issue. She had to just ask. With a sigh, she folded her hands and looked back over to Lena, who was taking another sip of her tea.

"So, the "metal box" that woman referred to? Was she an omnic?" She asked. Lena paused slightly at this, lowering her cup, and seeming to study her drink. Emily brushed aside her hair and patiently waited. She couldn't even begin to wonder what might have happened, so she didn't want to rush her, she was sure Lena would answer when she was ready. Without a word, Lena gently placed her cup back down onto the tray, and sat forward as she held her hands together and rubbed her fingers together.

"Yeah... HE was." She said. Emily recoiled slightly at this. He? The omnic she had been dating was a male? But wasn't Lena... She shook her head as she had these thoughts. That didn't matter right now, what mattered was that Lena was hurting. She wasn't going to let the woman she loved be in pain. Brushing the small detail aside, she grabbed her own cup of tea, swirling her finger around the rim of the cup.

"Oh, my mistake. So, what was his name?" She asked before softly blowing on her tea. Lena actually allowed herself a small smile as Emily took the first sip of her tea, the hot liquid refreshing her after being out in the cold rain. Lena looked up towards her own cup of tea again as her hands stopped fidgeting.

"Adam... His name was Adam." She replied. Emily noticed that as she seemed to relax as she said his name, her shoulders lowering and her features softening. Emily smiled as she lowered her cup from her lips. So whoever Adam was, he was clearly a kind-hearted man. Or... Omnic? She was never quite sure how that phrasing worked. Regardless, she gently set her tea cup on her lap as Lena reached out for her own cup, watching the liquid within.

"When did you first meet him?" Emily asked, taking another sip. Lena gently picked up her cup, and smiled.

* * *

*9 Years Ago, 2068*

*Overwatch Prototype Labs*

Lena looked around her small room, consisting of a small dresser, a television, and a decently sized bed. She tossed and turned on her bed, attempting with all her being to try and get some rest, but despite her efforts, she just couldn't fall asleep. And how could she? She was ecstatic! Not only had she been inducted into Overwatch, the biggest international peacekeeping organization since the UN, but she was hand picked by them personally. And at only eighteen years old! She couldn't believe it, it was absolutely humbling to be here, and her mind was buzzing with excitement. She had already been briefed on what she was going to be doing, piloting the brand new prototype called the Slipstream, a teleporting fighter jet. How exciting was that?

Sighing, she sat up on her bed as she looked to her door, wondering if she should just lie back down. It wouldn't accomplish anything, she was far too awake. Still, she wasn't sure if she was allowed to be up and about at such a late hour, especially considering that she was only a test pilot. Then again, she was inducted as a full member, right? Didn't that mean that she could do as she wished on premises? No, she thought to herself. That was dangerous thinking. What if she was wrong? She didn't want to be dismissed on her first day, what kind of adventure would that be? As much as she didn't want to, she would just have to wait until she could fall asleep.

With another sigh, she laid back down on her bed and rested her hand across her stomach. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind, calm blue oceans, counting sheep, a gentle... rumble? Raising an eyebrow, Lena reopened her eyes, and looked down towards her stomach. Was her stomach growling? She sat back up and rubbed her belly, trying to gain some sort of response from it. Surely enough, her stomach responded with another low grumble. She smiled slightly. Surely, Overwatch didn't expect their operators to sleep on empty stomachs. Gently rising from her bed, she slowly walked over to her desk to fetch her ID. Once she had, she opened the door, proceeding to sneak outside.

Lena carefully walked through the ornate, blue halls of the barracks. Various posters lined the walls, along with tags showing the room numbers. Coming to a fork in the hall, she peaked around the hallway to the right, seeing nothing but another empty pathway. Inhaling deeply, she quietly entered the hallway and kept moving forward, trying to remember which way it was to the break room. The dinner hall was certainly going to be closed at this point, but there had to be maintenance workers and other scientists who were still up. They would need the break room to be open for them, right?

Reaching another turn, she peaked around the corner, and this time, she saw what looked like a janitor, clad in sanitation garments and carrying a cart with a trashcan and various cleaning supplies. Even more so, she noticed that it was an omnic, or a robot with human level intelligence and awareness. The omnic stopped in front of one of the doorways as he knocked on one of the doors, gaining a muttered "occupied" in response. The omnic nodded as Lena carefully pulled her head away and tried to sneak back to her room, noticing that the rolling of the trash can was getting closer. Just as she was about to make the turn, she heard a metallic voice call out;

"You know, if you weren't allowed out in the halls, they'd have already found you. They've got cameras all over the building." It said. Lena closed her eyes and blushed in embarrassment as she groaned. She hadn't thought about that. Turning around, she placed a hand on the back of her head as she saw the omnic resting his head hands against a broom handle. The omnic seemed to be decently taller than Lena, with two small circular holes for it's eyes, and a single horizontal line where a mouth would be. Both holes glowed a soft blue hue as he chuckled.

"Is there anything I can help you with ma'am?" He asked. Lena gave a sheepish smile as she lowered her hand and rubbed her fingers together.

"You can just call me Lena, and you can, actually. I was looking for the break room, since I was getting hungry and I couldn't sleep. Would you be able to point me in the right direction?" She asked. The omnic adjusted his broom and nodded, placing the device back onto his cart before moving behind it to pull it.

"I sure can Lena, I was actually needing to head there myself to clean it up. I'd be happy to lead you there."He said as he made eye contact with her. Lena smiled back at him, relieved that she wasn't in any kind of trouble, and elated that she would be able to get something to eat. She walked up next to the omnic and nodded to him.

"Thank you so much luv', I'd really appreciate it." She replied. He simply nodded in response before responding;

"My pleasure Lena." With these words, he began pulling the cart along, and Lena began walking beside him and folding her hands behind her back. She smiled as she looked him over once more, noticing that that omnic seemed comfortable with his stride, and not weary. So he probably worked here by choice, not by force. That was good, Lena was a staunch advocate for Omnic rights, so she was always glad when an omnic was in a place of work that made them legitimately happy. Looking back up to his face she tilted her head slightly to the side as the omnic made a right turn down another hallway.

While the silence between them wasn't awkward by any means, Lena felt kind of bad just asking the omnic to lead her to the break room. So, in an attempt to be friendly, she turned back to him.

"So, what's your name?" She asked.

"Officially, I am designated as Autonomous Delivery and Maintenance Module." He replied in quick fashion. He turned his head toward her, and Lena noticed that his eyes seemed to glow slightly brighter.

"Rolls right off the tongue, right?" He asked. Lena chuckled at his joke and nodded her head.

"I guess it does, yeh. Do you have a shorter name that people refer to you as?" She asked. The omnic shrugged as he turned his attention back to the hallway.

"My friends call me Adam. Matches the whole name, and it's kind of got a nice ring to it." He replied. Lena nodded slightly and looked to the hallway, seeing a group of scientists entering a room to the left. She reflected on his name, Adam. It was nice name, and a clever one considering what he was officially called.

"Well my full name is Lena Oxton, it's very nice to meet you Adam." She said with a smile on her face. Out of the corner of her eye, Lena noticed Adam give a small nod as his mouth glowed slightly brighter. Lena smiled to herself at this, he was smiling back.

"An honor Miss Oxton."


	3. Light Bulbs

"Turns out there was a little bit of a mess in the break room, so Adam had to stay there and clean it for a while." Lena said, a small smile still present on her lips. Emily nodded and leaned forward, her hands folded together as she absorbed everything Lena was saying. Based on what she had heard so far, Adam seemed like a kind soul. Still, Lena had only just started telling her story.

"I'm guessing you two talked up a storm then?" She asked, a light chuckle in her voice. Lena closed her eyes and gave a light giggle of her own, confirming Emily's suspicions. She smiled as she picked up the kettle and poured Lena some more tea, since she had nearly finished her first cup.

"Well, what did you guys talk about then?" She asked, somewhat impatiently she noted. Setting back down the kettle, Emily watched as Lena once again reached for her cup, sighing in appreciation of the warm beverage. She opened her eyes again before blowing on it and taking another long sip, along with shooting Emily a little smirk. Emily raised an eyebrow and folded her arms together. Lena was toying with her now. She knew Emily wanted details, so she was going to take her time in some areas, much to her girlfriend's annoyance. That was alright though, right now was about Lena, not her. Emily was willing to wait if that's what made her more comfortable. After she finished her sip, Lena gave a satisfied breath before turning to face her.

"Honestly, I can't remember it all. We talked about pretty much everything, where we came from, how we got to where we were, our favorite songs, our favorite foods, so much. He was funny, he was kind, I just can't describe it..." She replied. Emily lowered her eyebrow and allowed herself to sit back up, beaming slightly inside. Lena seemed so happy to be talking about this, it was great to see her in a better mood after how somber she was when they got home. But then, why did it strike such a sour chord with her if it did seem to bring her so much joy? Best to avoid that question for now, Emily decided. She didn't want to bring down Lena's mood again.

"Sounds like he was quite the guy." She said. Lena nodded and looked back to her tea.

"One of the best. We ended up talking with one another the entire week I was preparing for the Slipstream. It was never for very long, maybe an hour or two between all of the broken bits. But he was just so much fun to talk to during those little bits. If I was ever nervous, he would just reassure me about how great I was going to do." Lena continued. Emily's smile grew wider the more her girlfriend spoke. She couldn't help but feel how amazing it would have been to meet this guy, even if just to thank him for being so kind to her. As she had this thought, she noticed Lena's smile slightly droop, her hands lowering her cup back onto the tray, her features growing sullen again. Emily narrowed her eyes in concern and placed her hand on Lena's thigh.

"Lena?" She asked. Lena shook her head, her smile now seeming somewhat forced, leading to some more worry from Emily.

"Then came the accident, when the Slipstream vanished." She said. Emily frowned and pulled Lena close, allowing her to rest her head on her shoulder as she gently rubbed her arm. The Slipstream vanishing is what lead to Lena needing the chrono accelerator in the first place, since the accident essentially dislodged her from the normal flow of time. While she was alive, she was more or less stuck in a ghost like state, incapable of holding a physical form, and would even completely vanish for days at a time. Lena had admitted that it was one of the scariest times of her life, and never really liked talking about it. Out of respect, Emily never asked her to.

"I'm sorry Lena, we can stop now if you want to." She said. To her surprise, Lena shook her head and snuggled up closer to Emily.

"No... It's alright... I can talk about it..." Emily smiled lightly and began gently stroking Lena's hair, unsure of whether she should allow her to. What if it became too much for her? Then again... Lena was usually pretty good about knowing her limits. Usually. She hoped now was one of those times.

"It was about fifteen days after they got me back, though they said for them it was probably closer to twenty-four..."

* * *

*9 Years Ago, 2068*

*Overwatch Prototype Labs*

Lena curled up into a ball as she softly cried to herself, despair inching closer and closer as she pondered just how hopeless her situation was. Countless scientists, doctors, and even licensed particle physicists had come to try and fix her condition, highly qualified ones at that. And none of them could provide a solution. Not a single one... Even with the best Overwatch had to offer, she was still just a corporeal manifestation of herself... They said she was alive, and she believed them. But... If they couldn't fix her... Would this be the extent of her living? Stuck inside an empty room, hoping and praying that someone, anyone could fix her? Only for her hope to be consistently crushed every time something they tried failed?

She wept louder now, her emotions overtaking her. This wasn't fair... She was only eighteen, she hadn't even gotten to begin her life, and now she was facing this? What sense did that make? Was she forever doomed to be stuck as just some... wisp? Something that couldn't even hold someone? Oh please no... To never hold someone close? To never be able to hold someone's hand? To never hug mom or dad again? The thought was just too awful for Lena to picture, and yet everything pointed to that being the case. And so she cried. What else could she do? She couldn't be angry at her state, Overwatch could never have predicted this. She couldn't be happy that she was alive, if this was the sorry state she was stuck in.

No, all she could do was cry. Cry at the life she would never get to live. Cry for all the little moments she would never get to experience. Maybe one day it wouldn't hurt so much... Maybe if enough time had passed she would stop caring. But that thought was even worse... To never care again? What kind of life was that? Just passively passing through? Lena couldn't bear it, she couldn't imagine such a horrendous fate. But if the alternative was never ending sadness and grief, then...

"Hello in there?"Came a sudden voice from beyond the room. Sniffing, Lena rose her head as she looked up to the door of her room, unsure if the words had simply been in her head. After all, it was so late, surely none of the scientists would be ready to test something at this hour, much less want to talk to her. They didn't want to give her false hope, after all.

"Lena? Are you still there?" The voice called out again. The voice seemed... familiar, granting a sense of comfort somehow. Lena pillaged the back of her mind, trying to find a name to attach to that voice. It sounded... Metallic, almost, as though it were coming from a... An omnic, she realized.

"...Adam?" She weakly asked. For a moment, there was only silence. Just her mind playing tricks on her... Lena thought. Then came his response.

"So you are there." He responded. Lena sighed and rested her head on her knees. What was Adam doing here? Surely he wasn't just trying to clean the halls, but at the same time, there certainly wasn't anything he could do. If a doctor or a scientist couldn't fix her, how could he?

"You know, I've been wanting to talk to you ever since they got you back. But with everyone poking and prodding at you, I figured it was best to let you have some rest for a while. Now seemed like the only good time." Came his voice again. Lena closed her eyes as more tears squeezed out of them. He had no idea, did he? How could he? He was just a janitor, why would he know about Overwatch's greatest blunder? Then again... She was on the news. Just another piece of evidence as to why Overwatch wasn't to be trusted by the public. That was another weight to bear... The organization that she loved, the mission she believed in, being torn apart because of her...

"Well I haven't gotten any rest... Not in a few days at least... All I can think is the life I'll never get..." She finally said, tucking her knees closer to her body and hugging herself tightly. That was the one thing she could still do, hug herself, for what little comfort that offered.

"The life you'll get back one day. The life that will be returned to you." Came Adam's voice. Lena sighed, opening her eyes and looking back up to the door.

"Adam... You don't understand. Doctors, scientists, they've all tried and they can't fix me. I can't even talk without disappearing again. And by the time I'm back, hours have gone by, days sometimes! How can I ever get my life back after this?!" She shouted, her despair now dominating her thoughts. Her tears continued to gently flow from her eyes, as she was just barely able to keep herself from breaking down again. For a time, Adam said nothing. Maybe she had gotten through to him. Maybe he realized, like her, that her situation was hopeless. She gasped in exasperation as more tears flowed from her eyes, and she rested her chin in the crevice between her knees.

"The light bulb Lena." Adam said. Lena coughed slightly and looked back up.

"The light bulb? What are you..."

"Thomas Edison tried, and failed, over 2,000 times to make a light bulb. Time after time, he poured his heart and soul into making it,something he knew would improve the lives of others. But every time, he failed. Time and time again, something would go wrong, and the light bulb just wouldn't work." He clarified. Lena sniffed and wiped her face of snot and tears as she listened to Adam's words.

"But one day, he didn't fail. He finally did it. He created the light bulb. He succeeded because he persevered, and he never gave up hope. Because he knew, that he would get it right. He didn't stop and say this is hopeless, he said to himself, I will get this. This will come to me." Lena slightly raised her head at this. She hadn't known that, 2,000 times? And he never gave up? Never stopped believing?

"It's the exact same thing now Lena. Sure, they've failed now. Many times, but that's not what matters. What matters is that a time will come when they will succeed. And when it does, that's the only time that will matter." Adam continued. Lena simply listened. There was a certainty in his voice, he fully believed everything he was saying. The doctors hadn't had that, the scientists hadn't. But Adam did... Every word her spoke, he was confident and sure about, there was no hesitation, no delay... no doubt. That was the one thing that Lena hadn't heard ever since she got back, certainty. Certainty that this would work out, certainty that she would be okay. Certainty that she would have a life again.

"You're going to be okay Lena. You're going to come out of this. And when you do, you're going to be so strong, people will look at you, and be inspired. They'll tell stories of how you were so strong, and so brave. Because even in the face of your own 2,000 failures, you never stopped believing. Never gave up. Because you knew you would be okay. Just like I do." He continued. As he finished these words, Lena felt something. Something wonderful. She felt hope rise up within her. The hope that Adam was right, no... the certainty. The certainty that he was right. The full-hearted knowing that he was right, that she was going to get through this. That her life would be returned to her. And so for the first time since her accident...

Lena smiled.


	4. Questions

"He was right, too. Within the next few days, Winston finished up his chrono accelerator. I had my life back, and I had Winston to thank for it. I wasn't thinking of all times the others failed... I was just thankful to Winston for his one success." Lena said before taking another sip of her tea. Emily smiled as she picked up the kettle once again, somewhat surprised to find that it was about half empty. Just how long had they been sitting? It certainly hadn't felt that long. Still, that was probably a good thing. Setting it back down, she crossed her legs over one another, and placed her hands over them.

"So you really had two heroes that day. Winston, and Adam." She teased. Lena chuckled and nodded, almost spitting out her tea. Emily grinned at this, giggling as Lena brought her free hand to her mouth to catch the wayward drink. Emily quickly offered her a napkin, which she gratefully accepted. After wiping her mouth and shooting a playful glance at her girlfriend, Lena continued.

"We got a lot closer after that. We tried taking lunch breaks together when we could, and we even tried hanging out outside of work. When I got transferred to the Swiss HQ for training, he was transferred with. I even found out that he was a Christian, of all things." She said. Emily's smile slowly faded at this. A christian? That wasn't good... She was familiar with how they viewed homosexuality, and had even been the victim of some hateful remarks when she was writing a column on the subject. The paper company had even needed to give her some time off to stop the threatening emails and letters coming her way. She inhaled deeply as she uncrossed her legs and leaned forward slightly, her hands folded together.

"So... how did that make you feel?" She asked gently. Lena shook her head.

"Terrified. I mean, I knew Adam was a kind soul from the moment I met him, but... I was so scared that would change if he found out I preferred girls. I mean, I still liked guys, but..."

"...Not as much." Emily finished for her. Lena sighed and nodded, looking back down towards her cup.

"Yeh. Adam was probably one of my best friends next to Winston... I couldn't stand the thought of losing him. So I just never told him." She confessed. Emily frowned and held Lena's hand, gently rubbing it to try and make her feel better. Lena smiled and closed her grip around Emily's, her soft hands warming Emily slightly. Emily inhaled again as she tried to change the subject.

"So, what happened next?" She asked. Lena chuckled and shook her head.

"Not too much happened for a while. We spent time together, he would check up on me every so often, and I would help him with his cleaning if I had the chance." She paused a moment before inhaling deeply and closing her eyes. Emily simply sat beside her and held onto her hand, trying to be her strength in case it was too hard for her. When Lena finally exhaled, she continued her story.

"Then came the attacks on King's Row. When I found out I was... scared, confused, heartbroken... I just had so many emotions in my heart that I wasn't sure how to handle it. When I was called into Commander Morrison's office, I tried convincing him that Overwatch had a responsibility to step in and help, that time wasn't going to fix the problem..." She began. Emily remembered these events. She'd been in Wales on an internship at the time the extremist omnic group Null Sector attacked London. She hadn't able to make it back home, since air traffic to London was cut off, and so had been forced to watch events unfold at the company office, and pray that her parents had gotten out in time. Lena continued.

"There was some time before Morrison sent us in. I guess he just wanted to be sure before risking another embarrassment... I did my best to track down Adam, since Winston was busy. I guess I just needed someone to talk to..."

* * *

*7 Years Ago, 2070*

*Overwatch HQ, Switzerland*

Lena paced around the halls of the Swiss HQ, unsure what to think. London was under attack, the Prime Minister was refusing to allow Overwatch to help, and Commander Morrison didn't seem to be willing to send anyone in. She sighed and crossed her arms as she looked through the halls, seeing other agents conversing with one another as though nothing was wrong. How could they be so nonchalant about this? This was London! Her home! The mayor, Mondatta, and so many more people were in danger! How could they just sit aside and do nothing? They had a responsibility to go in... right?

Looking to her left, she saw the break room, televisions full of the news reports of the attacks. Things were getting worse, she could tell. Though, there was one thing in the break room that gave her some semblance of peace. The chairs were all neatly stacked atop the tables, and wet floor signs decorated the floors. Adam was in there, at least she hoped it was him, and not one of the other janitors. Sighing, she stepped inside to see if her hopes were well-founded, only to find an empty room. While there appeared to be a fresh pot of coffee going, not a single soul existed in the room beside herself. She was just about to turn and leave when she heard the all too familiar voice.

"I'd be careful around here Tracer. Unless you want to travel back in time to prevent yourself from slipping." Looking to the right, Lena watched as Adam exited the utility closet, brandishing a mop and a bucket with sloshing water. Lena allowed herself a short chuckle as Adam dipped the mop in the water and allowing it to soak.

"Sad to say I have a lot of stops before I can take a break Lena. You'll have to give me some time before asking me to go anywhere for lunch." He said as he pulled the now dripping mop out of the bucket before sloshing it onto the floor. Lena looked down and leaned against the wall as she listened to the gentle plop and swishing of the mop on the floor.

"I just need someone to talk to right now Adam. Winston's busy, and I can't really think of anyone else I want to speak to about this." She said quietly. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Adam was nodding as his arms moved rhythmically back and forth against the floor, a modest trail of water following his every move.

"Well, that I can certainly do. Gets kinda boring just mopping floors to the sound of nothing anyway. What's on your mind?" He said. Lena looked up to the television again, where a new shot send by the Null Sector came into focus. In it, Tekhartha Mondatta, Mayor Nandah, and several other prisoners had their hands behind their heads, with Null Sector omnics aiming guns at them. While Mondatta appeared to be calm, Nandah and the other hostages looked absolutely terrified. Lena rose a hand to her mouth as she tried to stifle a gasp of shock and fear. Adam seemed to hear this, and halted his mopping for a moment to look up to the screen.

"Things are just getting worse over there, aren't they?" He mused. Lena nodded and lowered her hand, crossing her arms once more as she looked over to Adam. His eyes were a much duller blue than normal, hinting that he too was worried for their lives. Sighing, Lena nodded her head and focused on one of the wet floor signs, fidgeting nervously against the wall.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. You said you believe in a higher power... In God, right?" She asked, looking back up to face him. Adam shifted his gaze back onto her, his eyes lighting up once more.

"Yes I do." He responded. Lena looked away again, though not at anything in particular this time. She shook her head as she pondered how she should phrase this next question. Would he be insulted? Would he think that she was trying to attack him for his beliefs? She didn't want him to turn against her, but at the same time... How could he imagine God being there if he just allowed things like this to happen? If he did exist, then how could he let so many people be hurt, killed, and taken from their homes? Sighing, she looked back over to Adam, who was now resting his hands on the handle of the mop.

"Adam... With all due respect, if God is so good and just... How can he allow things like this to happen? People dying, history being ruined, fear-mongering... It just doesn't make any sense. If a higher power as loving as God exists... Why doesn't he do something?" She asked. Adam nodded and adjusted the handle, setting it to the side of the bucket. He then leaned against the wall, placing his hands in his pocket.

"Well, that's a good question Lena. It all comes down to free will. God loves us too much to force us to adhere to only one way of living, even if it is what He had in mind for us. After all, what kind of father forces their children to play baseball if that's not what they want? Sometimes that means people stray very far away from it, doing awful things like this." He explained. Lena shook her head at this. That just sounded like a cop out to her...

"Then why doesn't he do something to stop them? Why doesn't he step in?" She demanded. Adam seemed undisturbed by this question, and simply nodded.

"He does. Just not in the ways that we might expect Him to. Do you mind if I ask you a question Lena?" He responded. Lena sighed and shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess." She said.

"Where did you just come from? Before coming in here to talk to me?" He asked. Lena narrowed her eyes and looked at him quizzically. Where had she been? What did that matter? They were talking about why God wasn't there for the people in London, not places she had been. Was he just trying to stall for time? If so, why didn't he just say 'I don't know'? Couldn't he be honest with her? Begrudgingly, she answered.

"Commander Morrison's office, what does that matter?" She asked. Adam tilted his head slightly.

"Do you think that was by chance? The Overwatch agent who most wants them to step in to help in King's Row gets a precious few minutes with Strike Commander Morrison, and you think that's just coincidence?"He asked. Lena was about to open her mouth, but slowly shut it as she pondered this. It was strange timing, that the broadcasts had shown exactly what they had exactly when they did. But... That didn't mean that it was an act of God, right?

"Lena, God wants what's best for us even in the bad times. And He'll do what he can to get us there. Even if it's in ways we never could have possibly imagined. Small things like alone time with the commander, a well timed broadcast... A friend willing to listen to your questions and confusions." He continued. Lena looked back up to Adam. His mouth piece was glowing brighter now, Lena knew what that meant. He was smiling again. Just as she was about to open her mouth again, she overhead someone call out her call sign. Tracer. She looked to the open door, somewhat dazed by the sudden mention of her name. Looking back to Adam, she noticed his mouth piece glowing even brighter.

"Sounds like He's at work again Lena. Are you ready to answer the call?"


	5. Revelations

Emily looked away for a moment, trying to process everything she had just heard. For the longest time, she had always assumed that Morrison had simply ignored the Prime Minister's orders and sent Overwatch into King's Row of his own accord. Now she had come to find out that not only had Lena been a major driving force, but supposedly that God had a hand in sending them in? Was that even possible? Shaking her head, she tried to focus back on the subject at hand. That didn't matter right now, she still needed to be there for Lena. Brushing aside some of her hair, Emily looked back to her girlfriend, a smile still on her face.

"I'd never really had anyone explain things to me like that before. It was always just, "Don't question God" or, "He knows what He's doing." No one took time to work me through it like Adam did." She said. Emily smiled and nodded, keeping her hands folded on her lap. Lena sighed and leaned back on the couch, looking up towards the ceiling, seeming to gather her thoughts for a moment.

"When we got back from the mission, everyone was just so happy that we had done it, Overwatch finally had something to be proud of again. A high stakes crisis averted because of us? And better yet, knowing that I had been part of the team that had done it? It was a dream come true. What's more, Adam actually asked me out." She finally said. Emily's eyes widened at those words. She should have known they were coming. Lena had confessed they had dated, but for some reason, it still caught her off guard. Maybe it was just fear of Lena's sexuality being revealed to him, and how he might have reacted. She frowned and looked away briefly, her features furrowing as she felt a sliver of anger within herself. If he hurt her... Lena didn't seem to notice Emily's actions, as she continued speaking.

"It was kind of weird at first, we couldn't really go on dinner dates, I mean, what was he supposed to do? Just shove food in his face so it could fall on the floor?" She chuckled at this, bringing Emily out of her trance. She shook her head and exhaled. She needed to calm down. Think about it, she said to herself. Lena was speaking kindly and fondly of Adam, why would she be doing that if he hurt her like that? If he had just turned on her? No, they must have broken up for some other reason. But... Why? Focus! She reminded herself. Looking back to Lena, she tried putting these questions out of her head as she realized Lena hadn't stopped talking.

"...bring books while I ate. He would always insist on paying too, even though I made more. Said it was only fair since I was the one being shot at." Emily allowed himself a small chuckle at this. She had to admit, Adam had a decent sense of humor. It was a shame she would never really get to meet him. She probably would have gotten along with him. Then again it might have been awkward with her being Lena's girlfriend...

"But... then came New Years..." Lena said. Emily furrowed her eyebrows and looked to Lena with questioning eyes. New Years? Of 2071? What could have been so important about that?

"What happened at New Years?" She asked. Lena sighed and fumbled with her fingers for a moment. There was a sad look in her eye, which gave Emily a moment of pause. Was she too quick to assume that Adam hadn't hurt her?

"What did he do? Did he find out? Lena, what did he-"

"It wasn't anything like that... But, it does involve someone we met earlier today." She reassured her. Emily took a deep breath and relaxed, trying to think back. Her eyes opened in realization as she thought back to the toy store. Ms. Hardol, the woman that insulted her. Was that where Lena knew her from? New Years? Of course, it made sense, she mentioned Adam as a metal box.

"Ms. Hardol? What happened?" She asked. Lena sighed and sat back, placing her hands in her lap.

* * *

*7 Years Ago, 2070*

*1 hour until New Year's Day*

"I can't believe I let you convince me to do this." Adam grumbled begrudgingly as he made another right turn. Lena giggled as she unrolled the sleeves on her Tracer jacket, a Christmas gift from her fellow Overwatch agents. With an hour until the New Year, Lena had tirelessly been trying to convince Adam to take her to the pub across town, where several of her colleagues had frequented. Of course, Adam hadn't wanted to go. For one, he hated pubs, since he saw them as nothing but dens for people to get drunk. Second, most pubs didn't look too kindly upon Omnics, since they offered no business for them. But, when Lena had pulled out her signature sad eyes and quivering lip, it was only a matter of time before Adam had relented and agreed to take her.

"It won't be so bad! We'll drop in for about an hour, watch the ball drop from the bar with everyone, then we can leave and do whatever you want! Promise!" She said. Adam chuckled as he looked to the left of a stop, waving forward another driver who had pulled up after him. The driver waved in thanks and drove forward while Adam leaned against his seat.

"Yeah, I know. I just don't like the idea of having people spill beer all over me, stuff smells bad enough from a distance." Adam said. Lena lifted an eyebrow and rested her arm on the window sill of her passenger seat.

"You really have that little faith that people can keep their beer under control?" She asked. Adam rose a pointer finger as he kept his gaze focused on the road.

"Now, I never said that, I have little faith that DRUNK people can keep their beer under control. I'm sure everyone else is just a mountain of class." He clarified. Lena giggled again and looked back outside, watching the nighttime lights and festivities on the streets around her. People in hats, lighting up sparklers, some even playing instruments. It was all so beautiful to her. She loved New Years, and always had since she was little. She even remembered staying up late with her father to watch fireworks going off in their backyard. It was the one night of the year she was allowed to stay up past her bedtime, and so always held a special place in her heart. She felt the car pull to a stop, and looked forward, her smile widening. They were here.

"Okay, we made it, get out of my car you heathen." Adam said jokingly. Lena laughed again as she exited the car, making sure to slam the door behind her. Adam had been sure to remind her that the door wouldn't shut properly if she didn't. Lena noticed Adam adjust his jacket slightly, pulling it suspiciously close to his face. Lena smiled and walked up to him, wrapping her arm around his.

"Would you relax? There's no one who's going to crucify you for being in one little pub!" She said. Adam gave her a skeptical glance. She could tell that he didn't believe what she had said. Chuckling, she pulled him forward, which he hesitantly allowed.

"Okay, tell you what, if someone does try to crucify you, I'll beat them up for you, how about that?" She said playfully. Adam looked away and seemed to ponder this for a moment, then gave a shrug.

"Only if I get to watch." He responded. Lena giggled and continued to lead him with interlocked arms, to which Adam gave no protest. Upon reaching the door, Lena was instantly met with her colleagues at the bar, all with drinks and in high spirits. One of them, who Lena recognized as Timothy, looked over to her, and raised his bottle as he shouted out her call sign, Tracer.

"Look alive boys! We got the cavalry over here!" He shouted. The others whooped and cheered as they shouted cavalry over and over again. Lena chuckled as she released her grip from Adam.

"Oh sure, go have fun, I'll be here. Resenting my existence." He said jokingly. Lena turned to him briefly and stuck out her tongue, to which Adam's mouth finally glowed, allowing himself a small laugh. Looking back to her colleagues, Lena smiled and held out her arms, leading to another one to raise their own bottle.

"Well get over here time-lady! We need to get you a drink!" Timothy shouted. Lena smiled and hopped up onto a stool, leaning on the counter as the pub keeper walked over to her before raising an eyebrow.

"Can I see some ID please?" She asked. Lena nodded and reached into her jacket pocket to retrieve her small money pouch to get her driver's license, but one of her friends slammed money down for her before she could.

"I'm buying her drink! Just fix her up with whatever she wants." He said in and overtly loud voice. The pub keeper looked skeptical for a moment, but seemed to decide that Lena at least looked old enough to accept a drink if it was paid for by her colleague. Sighing, he took the money as he looked over to Lena, raising an eyebrow and holding out a hand. Lena thought for a moment before smirking and slamming her palm on the counter.

"I'll take a beer at room temperature please." She said. This triggered a round of disgusted groans around her as her colleagues recoiled at these words. The one who slammed the money down gave Lena a pained look as he shook his head.

"You're hopeless, you know that? Hopeless!" Timothy said before confirming the order to the pub keeper. He nodded before reaching under the counter and producing said bottle. Lena thanked him as the other operators held their bottles aloft and began a toast. Lena happily joined in and clinked her bottle to theirs, wishing for another year of Overwatch, and continued health for it's members. After which, they all took a long drink. A customary round of belches followed afterwards, with Lena giving the loudest of them all, though it was also the shortest. Still, better than nothing, she thought.

The next thirty minutes were mostly uneventful, with her colleagues ordering more and more drinks, while she stayed content with just her one bottle. As she was about to finish it off, she looked back over to the corner where she had left Adam, and realized that he seemed to be miserable. Though, that's not what caught her attention. That belonged to a woman, who seemed to be screaming at him. Adam faced her, and seemed to be trying to talk her down, but the woman was having none of it. Slightly worried for him, Lena finished the last sip of her beer and got up from her stool, and began to walk over to her boyfriend. As she approached, she could hear a bit of their conversation.

"...so horribly sinful for someone to be here, then what may I ask, are you doing here Jessica?" Adam said. The woman crossed her arms and gave Adam a hateful glare.

"If you must know, I'm picking up my sister. She had too many drinks, and I'm taking her home." She said. Lena walked over to Adam and placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up to her.

"What's going on?" She asked. Adam looked at her a moment longer before sighing and extending a hand towards Lena, then the woman.

"Just a misunderstanding. Jessica, this is Lena Oxton, my girlfriend. Lena, this is Jessica Hardol. A member of my church." He explained. Hardol? Why did that name sound familiar to her? Lena looked up to look at her, seeing fire in her eyes as she brushed her bangs away from her eyes.

"Which HE has no business being in! God didn't make you useless scraps of metal! You have no right to think that you..." Hardol began, before pausing to look at Lena. She furrowed her eyes as she seemed to study her, causing Lena to feel slightly uncomfortable. She looked to Adam for support, who simply shrugged and grabbed her hand in an attempt to reassure her. Hardol's eyes widened as she grit her teeth, growling slightly as she eyed Lena down, which made Lena back away slightly.

"You..." She said angrily. Lena felt her stomach sink at the hate fueled word. Had she even met this woman before? She honestly could not remember her, but she seemed to be very familiar with her. Lena tightened her grip around Adam's hand, who did the same to her. Adam began rubbing her hand with his thumb in an attempt to calm her down, and seemed to be about to speak before Hardol spoke first.

"You're the whore who tried to hit on my little sister!" She shouted with wrath in her voice. Lena froze as she felt Adam stop rubbing her hand. Her eyes widened in fear as her breathing became heavier, terror gripping her entire body. Now she could remember, Hardol was the name of a girl Lena had flirted with when she first came to the Swiss HQ. The girl said she didn't swing that way, and Lena left her alone. She honestly hadn't thought anything of it, but now her secret was out... And right in front of Adam. How had she even recognized her?!

"Lena? What's she talking about?" He asked. Looking down to him, Lena saw the dull blue glow of Adam's eyes getting dull, and a full absence of light from his mouth. Lena panicked as tears began to form in her eyes, stumbling over her words as she desperately tried to string together a sentence. But nothing came to her, only panicked grunts and half-words as Adam tightened his grip around her hand.

"So is that what you've come to now Adam?! Dating faggots?!" Hardol shouted before Lena could say anything. Adam turned to face her again as Lena breathed heavily noted deep, booming footsteps coming towards their table. A figure slammed his hands on the table, causing Lena to jump and look towards them. It was Timothy, and he looked angry.

"You best watch your tongue lady. That "faggot" is my colleague and my friend. Call her that again, and you'll regret it."He said in a deep, menacing tone. Hardol took one good look at Timothy, then back at Lena before deciding that this wasn't a good fight to pick. She gave one last hateful glare towards Adam before giving an angry groan and stomping out of the pub. Timothy stood up straight and watched her leave as Lena stared away from Adam, not wanting to look him in the eye.

"Thanks Tim..." She said sheepishly. Timothy looked to her and clapped her on the shoulder.

"No problem Tracer. We gotta stick together, right?" He said with a smile before walking back over to the counter. An fearful silence passed for a moment as Lena desperately tried not to look at Adam, hoping that he wouldn't say anything. This was terrible... What was going to happen now? She couldn't bear the thought of losing Adam as a friend, not when he was the one who-

"Lena..." She heard. Adam. A tear squeezed it's way out of her eye as she slowly looked towards him, the dull glow of his eyes making her want to curl into a ball and say nothing.

"Can I talk with you for a moment? Alone?"


	6. Embraces

Emily stayed deathly quiet, not even moving. Her eyes were wide open, her hand wrapped tightly around Lena's. There were tears in her eyes now. What could she say? What should she say? She had to say something, right?

"Lena it's okay... You don't have to say anymore. We can just-" She began to say.

"No... It's alright... Really..." Lena said. Emily released her briefly, and noticed another tear falling down her face. Gently, she cupped her cheeks with her hands and wiped them away. Lena placed her own hand on one of Emily's and held it close, inhaling deeply as Emily pulled her to her chest and hugged her tightly. She gently rubbed her back, trying to talk her out of telling more.

"Lena, you're crying. This is really getting to you, we have to take a break at least. Maybe we can finish tomorrow? I'll even make some more tea." She said, keeping Lena locked in her protective arms. Within her, Emily felt Lena stir, and so looked down. She had adjusted her head, and was looking off into the distant parts of the room. But that's not what caught Emily's attention. There was a smile on Lena's face... Of all things, there was a smile. Emily slowly released her girlfriend, allowing her to sit back up. This doesn't make any sense... Was she happy about this? Maybe she was just glad to have it off her chest?

"Emily, it's are happy tears, it's just... Hard to say." Lena said. Emily placed one hand on Lena's arm, and the other on her cheek. Happy tears? That her secret was out? That she didn't need to hid it anymore? She wasn't making sense...

"Lena..." She said softly. Lena sighed and leaned her head on Emily's shoulder, which Emily responded to by wrapping her arm around her, holding her close.

"After he found out, we got back in the car and drove somewhere private. I think it was just some abandoned parking lot, I honestly don't remember..."

* * *

*7 Years ago, 2070*

*20 Minutes until New Year's Day*

Lena tried to keep herself from breaking out into tears as Adam tapped the steering wheel. He was hurt, and she could tell. His eyes were the dullest she had ever seen them, and there was no light in his mouth whatsoever. Was she going to lose him? No... Please don't let that happen, she thought. Adam was her best friend, she couldn't lose him. It was because of him she was able to get through her accident, because of him that she didn't lose hope when missions looked like they were going to fail. If she didn't have him to lean on anymore...

She weakly fidgeted with her hands and looked over to him, a tear streaking down her face. Adam was just sitting there, not moving. He wasn't even tapping the steering wheel anymore. She looked away, sniffing as she wiped her nose. This was even worse than him tapping... Why wasn't he doing anything, and more so, why wouldn't he say anything? Please... Just say something, she thought. Anything to end this agonizing silence. It was tearing her apart, the fear of losing him, the uncertainty of what he was going to say, what she could say to try and defend herself... She needed a chance to talk, but Adam wasn't saying anything. She couldn't take it anymore. With a long inhale, she turned to face him.

"Adam I-"

"Lena..." He finally said. There was a softness to his voice, she noticed. Lena knew what that meant, too. He wanted more time to think She closed her mouth, and leaned back into her seat, unsure of what to say. Should she still try and speak? Or should she wait for him? Screaming internally, she brought her hands to her head and rubbed them through her hair, desperately trying to think of what to do. She couldn't just let their relationship fall apart! She had to save it somehow! But what was she supposed to do?! He wasn't even giving her a chance to talk! She felt more tears slip out of her eyes, despite her efforts to hold them back. She was close to breaking down, and she knew it.

"Is what Jessica said true? Did you hit on her sister?" Adam finally asked. Lena trembled as she questioned what to do next. Should she say she was lying? Maybe she could convince him she wasn't telling the truth? No... Adam was too smart for that. She'd know she was lying. But how could she tell him the truth? She was going to lose him... She didn't want to lose him. Looking back to him, Lena saw Adam's dull blue glow from his eyes. There was something... different about them now. Was that contempt in his eyes? Confusion? Pain? She couldn't hold it back anymore, she stopped trying to hold back her tears and started softly crying. Just get it over with... She thought to herself. At least it would done quickly then...

"Yes... I did." She admitted. Adam nodded and seemed to ponder this for a moment. Say something... She thought to herself. Just say something and be done with it! Stop torturing me like this! Was all she could think to herself. She felt her nose running now... She sniffed and tried to wipe it away as she looked back toward the dashboard of the car. For a few moments, there was only silence. Agonizing, uncomfortable, fearful silence. She was too scared to say anything, but at the same time, she didn't want him to say anything either.

"So... You like girls." He asked. Lena's heart sunk into her stomach when she realized what his words were laced with, pain. There was pain in his voice. Lena closed her eyes and held her face in her hands. She had hurt him now! He wasn't angry, he was sad! That was even worse! Just hold it together a moment longer... She thought. She had to get through this fast... It would be over if she did that. She wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

"Yes... I do." She said, her voice breaking. It was all she could do to keep herself from bawling now. She was so close to losing him... And there was nothing she could say to defend herself. But should she even need to? It wasn't as if she decided that she was going to be like this, she just liked girls more! That wasn't her fault! It wasn't a defect, or something wrong with her, it was just... HER! With a gasp she shot back up, sitting upright in her chair, grasping the side of her head.

"So... You and me... we were never..." He started. Her eyes shot open at this. Desperately, she turned to face Adam.

"No! No, Adam it's not like that! I still like you! I still like guys it's just, I mean, I-I..." She tried to say. As much as she willed herself to say something, to try and finish her sentence, nothing came to her. Her mind was a mess, incapable of forming a coherent thought. She was about out of strength now... She couldn't keep this up. But she had to try.

"Adam, I still like you, I just like girls more, I mean, that's not wrong is it? It's just who I am right?! I mean, I'm not hurting anyone I'm not... I'm..." She said, her voice cracking more and more often now. Why couldn't she say was she needed to?! What was holding her back?! Why couldn't she be strong just this once?! Letting go, she began sobbing, burying her face into her hands. She couldn't say anything anymore. It hurt too much to talk, to think. To try and justify all of this. She didn't want to think about any of this anymore... She just wanted it to be over.

"Lena..." She heard Adam say. She stopped crying just long enough to look up to him. She was a mess, and she knew it. She was probably covered in snot and tears by now...

"Lena, I don't care about that." He said. Lena hiccuped and sat up straight for a moment. He didn't care? Then why was he... She knew she had heard hurt in his voice, it was unmistakable. Yet here he was saying he didn't care about that?

"But... Isn't that..." She began.

"Yeah, it is, but it's who you are. I can't hate you for that." He said. Lena exhaled and looked to the floor of the car, placing her hands on the back of her head as she did. This was so surreal, was he saying what she thought he was? He didn't care? He didn't care that his girlfriend just admitted he like girls more than guys? This didn't make sense... It was hurting her head just thinking about it...

"Adam, I don't understand... Aren't you hurt?" She asked, her voice barely more than a whimper.

"Yeah, but not for why you may think. I'm hurt that you kept this from me, and that you seem to think I would be angry about it, but I'm not angry or upset that you're lesbian. Or at least leaning towards girls." He said. Lena inhaled and exhaled loudly, looking up to Adam. His eyes were glowing bright again. His mouth was even starting to glow slightly. Lena shook her head as she hiccuped again, and tried wiping her face of fluids.

"Adam... I-"

"Lena, listen to me. I love you for who you are, not what you are. When you were a flight program pilot looking for the break room, I saw a girl who wanted to do the best she could. When you had your accident, I didn't see a science anomaly or a medical problem, I saw a scared young woman who needed someone to tell her things were going to be okay. I've never considered what you are, to be a part of who you are. That's all side stuff. You liking girls more is no different. That's WHAT you are, not WHO you are." He explained. Lena hiccuped again and tried to wipe her face again, but her jacket was already covered. She tried calming herself down, but continued breathing heavily, trying to take in everything Adam was saying.

She felt something on her hand, and looked to it. Adam. He was holding her hand. She looked up to face him, her eyes red and her cheeks a streaky mess. Adam didn't seem to care though. His mouth was glowing brighter than it had all night, and his eyes were a calm blue hue, almost as if he was intentionally lowering them. Then again... Maybe he was?

"You know, one of the most quoted verses in the Bible is "Love thy neighbor as thyself." But despite that, people tend to mess it up. They think it excludes people who are different, people of different religions, different races... Different orientations. But it doesn't." He began. There was a soothing calmness to his voice, one that actually helped calm Lena down a bit. She was still crying as another hiccup shook her body, but Adam didn't pay any mind to it as he continued.

"It doesn't say 'love thy neighbor as long as they're not sinning.' or, 'love thy neighbor as long as they love the opposite sex.' It just says "Love thy neighbor.'. And so... That's exactly what I'm going to do. Even if you do like girls more, I'm still going to love you, and support you, and be there for you in any way that you might need me. Because you're my neighbor too Lena. And I love you no matter what." He said. Lena was at a loss for words, she could barely keep herself from crying again. Adam wasn't leaving... He was staying there for her... And he accepted her... He accepted her even though she felt the way she did...

"Adam, I..." She tried to say, her voice weak and hoarse. Another hiccup racked her body as Adam wiped a tear from her eye, the blue light from his mouth even brighter now. It seemed to tell her it was okay to stop fighting now. She didn't need to anymore, it said. And so Lena cried. She cried and fell into Adam's arms, desperate sobs shaking her very being, but not of despair, or fear. Instead, it was of relief, and gratefulness. Adam gently wrapped his arms around her and held her close, rubbing one had through her hair. Lena simply allowed herself to rest, and hiccup, and cry.

And Adam held her close. She knew now, he was never going to abandon her. He would always be here for her no matter what.

And for that, Lena felt more at peace then she ever had.


	7. Raindrops

"In that moment, I didn't feel scared, or confused... I just felt grateful. So, so grateful." Lena said, her head still resting on Emily's shoulder. Emily chuckled and gently rubbed her arm, unable to find words to say. How Adam had responded to her was nothing short of astounding. She had always been told that the Christian God was a loving and accepting one, but she had never seen someone exemplify it to that extent. To vary so vastly from what Christians consider holy, and to accept her anyway? She just didn't have the words. Now she really wished she could have gotten to meet him.

"Lena that's... That's amazing."She said incredulously. Lena nodded and smiled to herself, looking up to her.

"Yeah, it was. It was definitely the best way I could have started off a bad year." She said. Emily sighed and held Lena closer at this. 2071 was the year that Overwatch officially fell apart. According to the news, some accident occurred resulting in the destruction of the Swiss HQ, and Overwatch was disbanded as a result. In truth, as Lena had told her, in-fighting and public turmoil caused a civil war of sorts at the Swiss HQ, which ended up destroying the base. The United Nations then outlawed any Overwatch activity. Lena had been away on mission at the time, and didn't find out about it until after she tried to get back.

"Adam was stuck in traffic when it happened, so he wasn't at the base at the time everything was happening. When word broke out about what happened, the first thing he did was call me to make sure I was alright. Which, I was." Lena said. Emily looked back down to her girlfriend and smiled.

"We just stayed in Switzerland for a little while after that, since we weren't really sure where to go. Adam had been built in America, so he wanted to return there, but of course, I wanted to go home. We talked about it, trying to decide where the best place to go was, and eventually decided that we would go home to London, since I had family there and, well, he didn't really have anyone in America." She explained. Emily nodded, that made sense. Omnics tended not to have any real family units, since they were made one at a time and their creators usually didn't feel any close bonds to them.

"So, we got our plane tickets to travel to London not long after New Years. We had to take separate flights, because they refused to allow omnics to travel with humans on planes in Switzerland. So, I gave Adam a kiss on the cheek, he boarded his plane..." Lena said, her voice noticeably cracking at the last few words. Emily frowned as she noticed this, trying to snuggle her closer to try and make her feel better.

"And... left my life forever..." She said. Emily's eyes widened at this.

"The plane crashed?" She asked. Lena sighed and shook her head.

"No, but bad weather forced the plane to land in Canterbury. He called me to let me know he was okay, and that the plane had been grounded. He said he was gonna stay in a hotel until he could get a train ticket to get him to London..." She said, her voice trailing off in the last part of her sentence. Emily continued to rub her shoulder, trying to make her feel better any way she could.

"I only found out what happened next from police and witnesses..."

* * *

*5 Years Ago, 2072*

*Unknown Canterbury Street*

"No, Lena, I promise, I'm fine! I can stay in a hotel for one night." Adam said into his phone as he walked along the streets on the cold January night. Thanks to bad fog, his plane had been grounded before he could get to London, and he didn't have the money at the moment to pay for an over one hour long taxi ride. So, he was going to settle into a cheap hotel for the night, and buy a train ticket to London first thing in the morning. Lena's flight would probably be taking off by the time the fog cleared up, so she would be able to just meet him in London.

"I know, I just don't feel comfortable with you being alone. The UK isn't exactly known for their hospitality towards omnics." She said.

"Then why'd you let me get on a plane all by myself?" He asked jokingly.

"That's different! That was maybe a few hours, this is a day or more!" Lena said in an exasperated tone. Adam chuckled and shook his head as he walked past another bar.

"Relax Lena, I promise I'll be okay. You can head to a couple bars while I'm here, have some fun, you won't even know I'm gone." He explained.

"How many times do I have to tell you it's called a pub?" She said in a mock annoyed tone.

"You can say it as much as you want, you're still wrong." He replied. He laughed when he heard the frustrated groan on the other line. He looked around the streets, seeing various buildings, although there was a strange lack of pedestrians on the crosswalks. Come to think of it, he didn't really see that many cars either. Maybe it was just because it was so late? After all, there were only about 50,000 people living there. Still, something seemed off.

"I swear, I don't know why I put up with you sometimes." Lena said. Adam chuckled and looked back to his front.

"I'm sure you'll find some odd reason. You be safe on your way home, okay?" He said.

"That goes double for you Adam. Please stay safe. I love you." She said.

"I love you too Lena." He said back. With that, he ended the call and placed his phone back in his jacket pocket. He sighed as he walked around the city, wishing that it had been snowing rather than just deathly cold. At least snow was pretty to look at, the cold was just insufferable. Honestly, why omnics had to feel cold and heat like people he would never know. Still, better than having to worry about eating or drinking, he figured. Better to have a situational weakness than a constant one. He came to small road in between his intended path and stopped at the sign, looking to make sure there wasn't a car on the way. He was just about to cross when he heard something.

It was a quiet, but still very distressed scream, as if it were somewhere off in the distance. Turning to the direction of the noise, Adam paused at the crosswalk, wondering if he had even heard it at all. Maybe his sensory units were malfunctioning? He didn't have a history of that or anything, but still, it was better to assume something like that before he just suddenly jumped to-

"HELP ME!" He suddenly heard from the same direction, causing him to stumble a little. He definitely didn't have a glitch in his sensors, that was someone calling for help. Pausing for a moment, he pondered his next course of action, trying to decide if this were actually someone in distress, or just some game. He'd been taught that kids would sometimes scream for help, but that it was part of them playing. Still what if-

"FIRE! FIRE!" The voice shouted. That was it, Adam thought to himself. Even if this was just a game, that word was the one he knew signified real danger. Charging in that direction, Adam pulled out his phone and tried to ready his key pad, just in case things got serious. The screaming diminished slightly in volume as he got closer, noticing more and more angry speaking. Now convinced that something was wrong, he looked to his phone and prepared to dial. He tried to remember what the emergency call was in the UK, Lena had told him just before he got on the plane...

As he rounded another corner, he saw the source of the noise. A young man being cornered by a group of Omnics, all of them with varying weapons and stances. The man was bloodied and seemed to have one of his eyes swollen shut as the omnics shouted verbal threats against him. Adam frantically looked to his phone as the memory came back to him, 999. The number for emergency police calls. He quickly dialed the number and held hit to his hearing sensors, praying for them to pick up as soon as possible. A tense few rings passed as Adam watched the man cower in fear before the omnics and backing himself against a wall in the alley. Come on... Pick up! He thought to himself.

"999, what's your emergency?" Came the other line. Finally!

"Hello, yes, I need to report an assault, I'm looking at five omnics attacking someone!" He said as quietly as he could, so as not to alert the attackers to his presence. The 999 operator attempted to get more information out of Adam as he did his best to supply the information, keeping an eye on the mugging to make sure it wasn't getting any worse. Just as he was listing off the street name, he noticed one of the Omnics raise a bat and scream angrily at the man.

"NO!" He shouted, dropping his phone and immediately rushing over. He didn't care about the phone, or what more he could say. He had to stop these guys from hurting that man anymore. With a ferocious roar, he leaped onto the back of the attacker, gaining a surprised shout as the other members turned to the sound. The man looked in shock at Adam.

"RUN!" He shouted. Unsure of what else to do, the man simply scrambled to his feet and began running off as the omnic flipped Adam over his shoulder, crushing Adam's arm underneath him. He shouted out in pain as he rolled on the ground for a moment, then tried to stand up. Before he could, he found himself being kicked back down, gaining another pained shout.

"What the heck is your problem? We omnics have to stick together against these guys! They aren't going to look out for us!" The attacker shouted angrily. Adam grabbed hold of his arm and grunted as he pushed himself off the ground, watching as the man turned out of the alley and started screaming out for help. Adam panted as the pain in his arm throbbed and sparked, but even so, he did not falter.

"Violence isn't going to make anything better! Attacking humans like an idiot is just gonna turn more people against us you moron!" He shouted back at the omnic. The other gang members readied their weapons as the lead attacker growled and readied his weapon. Adam felt a cold fear in his stomach as he realized what was about to happen. They were going to beat him to death.

"Moron, eh? You got a death wish pal?" The attacker said as he readied his weapon. It was too late to ask for mercy, Adam knew that. He'd lived a good life. They only thing he regretted was how badly this was going to hurt Lena. She hoped that in time, she could come to forgive him.

"Two actually... First, when the police catch you and they explain what happened to my girlfriend? Tell them to let them know I love her, and I'm sorry. Second... try talking less, your voice is annoying." He said. Pain. That was all he felt or understood next as his vision went to static. He'd been hit in the head. Then came a blow to his side. Then another to his head. Then to his legs. He crumbled as his vision briefly returned to him, seeing the attackers constantly beat him down with their weapons. He couldn't even cry out. Every blow was quickly followed by another as the attackers laughed and screamed angry taunts at him. He could hear a low pitched whirring noise gradually grow louder. His systems were failing. It was over.

As he took a look around for the last time, he noticed a soft, comforting coolness on his arm. Then his shoulder. Then his head. Finally, he saw a small droplet of water fall to the ground behind one of the attackers. Rain... Raindrops.


	8. Visits

Emily was at a loss for words, her mouth hanging slightly agape as she tried to process what she had just heard. She looked to Lena, who once again had tears flowing from her eyes. Not sure of what else she could do, Emily simply held her close, embracing her tightly. It was awful... Just... Awful. Beaten to death for standing up to a bunch of muggers... At least, she thought, he got to go out as a hero. Someone doing the right thing.

"The police called me as soon as they found his phone... I was just getting off the plane at the time..." Lena said. She scoffed lightly as she shook her head.

"First thing I was greeted to getting home was the news that my boyfriend was dead... I remember crying the whole taxi ride home..." She said. Emily sighed and released Lena for a moment as she adjusted on the couch, placing her hands together as she pondered what she had heard. So many things were swimming through her head, confusion to why someone so kind had died that way, sorrow for Lena, anger that members of Adam's own race had committed such an atrocity against him. It just didn't make sense... But then again, life wasn't fair. But why did it have to be so unfair to someone like Lena? Like Adam? Sighing, she looked back to Lena, who was sitting up now, her hands folded in front of her mouth as she stared at the now empty kettle.

"So... What happened after that?" Emily asked hesitantly. Lena balled her hands together, keeping them near her mouth before she exhaled and shook her head.

"Something not so awful actually. News was all over the fact that a former Overwatch member's friend was beaten to death for standing up for a human. Turns out, Adam was right about one thing. Things can happen to get people where they need to be. The man he saved? His parents owned a big restaurant chain. They were so thankful that Adam had saved their son, that they paid for him to have a funeral, burial and all." She said. Emily nodded and looked to her hands, which she was slowly rubbing. So, Adam had gotten a funeral, and been buried. That was a small blessing. At least he...

Emily's eyes widened as she came to a realization. He was buried. At a grave. They had to go and visit. She had to do something. Looking to Lena, she stood up suddenly and reached for her scarf, catching Lena by surprise as she jumped slightly from the sudden movement.

"Do you know where he's buried?"

* * *

*2 Hours Later*

Emily walked along the freshly mowed grass in the cemetery, observing the various headstones. All human names, all with photos of the deceased, all with years of birth and death. She was shocked, to be honest, that he had been buried in a cemetery with so many other normal people, she'd expected a single grave atop a hill, or at the end of a meadow. But no, here she was in the middle of a massive cemetery, with groundskeepers, preservers, and more. It brought a small smile to her face, seeing that in death Adam had been seen not as an Omnic, or some soulless hunk of metal, but as a person. Someone the world had truly lost. She wondered if Lena was feeling the same way.

Looking behind her, she noticed that Lena too had a small smile on her face, as a soft breeze caused her Tracer jacket to flutter slightly in the wind. She seemed to study every grave she walked past, as if she were looking for any indication she was seeing Adam's head stone, not one of the countless others who had been laid to rest here. Emily sighed and looked forward again, trying her best to stay focused. She was here for one reason. Well, two, technically, but she would leave that as a secret for now. She wanted it to be a surprise to Lena.

"Emily... I found it..." She heard. Emily turned back to face Lena, seeing her eyes light up slightly as she stepped over one of the graves into the next row of headstones, careful not to step on them by accident. Emily carefully followed suit, making sure to step between the gaps in the graves. Walking up next to Lena, she stared down at the gravestone they both now faced. There he was. Beneath a carefully preserved headstone, and a neatly dug patch of dirt, flowers and letters around it, was Adam. Emily smiled as she read the headstone to herself. Adam 3.12, created 2047, died 2072, and a small bible verse. It read as Matthew 22:39. As she was about to read the quoted verse, she heard Lena speak up.

"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. When the family reached out to me... They asked if he had a favorite bible passage. I remember being so grateful that they referenced it during his funeral. I didn't realize that they put it on his headstone too..." She said. Emily smiled and looked to her girlfriend, noting the fresh tears in her eyes. She smiled and took hold of her hand, to which Lena leaned against her, resting her head on her shoulder.

"It's so weird... I feel like it's so right for him to be here, that it's what he deserves. But at the same time, I just wish he was still alive..." Lena said, her voice growing weak and tearful. Emily smiled and rubbed her hand as she placed a gentle kiss on Lena's forehead.

"I understand. I kinda wish he was here too." She said. And she meant it. True, she loved Lena deeply, and couldn't imagine her with someone else, but for some reason, she saw Adam as the kind of man who would let Lena go, if that was what her heart desired. She smiled as she had those thoughts. She had called him a man, not a machine. Fitting, she found. He had earned that.

Lena pulled away from Emily for a moment and walked in front of the grave, as Emily stepped away to give her some space. This was Lena's time.

"Hey Adam..." She said quietly. Emily simply watched and smiled, placing her hands in her coat pockets.

"I'm... I'm sorry I never came by sooner. I guess I was just so sad that you were gone, I didn't really want to fully accept it yet." She chuckled. "I guess I thought... Maybe if I didn't come to see your grave that... I don't know, maybe it would still feel like you were here in a way. But, it didn't. It just made me feel more alone, if I'm being honest." She said. Emily could hear Lena sniff, and watched as she wiped her eyes. As much as she wanted to rush over to her and give her a hug, to tell her that it was okay, she held herself back. Lena needed to get this off her chest on her own. It wouldn't be respectful if she hopped in now. Lena and Adam both deserved better than that. Lena inhaled and exhaled deeply before she continued.

"I... I guess what I'm trying to say is... Is that I still miss you Adam. I miss the way you would light up when we talked, I miss our discussions on how pointless it was to mop a floor twice... I even kind of miss our arguments over who was right when it came to drinking. There's not a day that goes by that I stop missing you Adam... And as much as it kind of hurts, I hope I never stop missing you. You deserve to be remembered." She said, sniffing again. Emily could tell she was trying to stay composed. She smiled as Lena used both hands to wipe her eyes this time, her chrono accelerator glowing brightly.

"I still love you Adam... And I won't stop loving you no matter what. After all you did for me... It's the least I can do for you. I love you so much..." She said, her voice tearful and on the verge of breaking. She sniffed once more before she held her arm to eyes, unable to say anymore. She began softly crying, and walking towards Emily. Emily in turn opened her arms and pulled her girlfriend into an embrace. She allowed Lena to cry for a while, not moving, not saying anything, just being there for her. Gently rubbing her back, Emily whispered about how it was okay to cry. To cry for Adam. After she had composed herself, Lena took one last look at Adam's grave before slowly nodding her head.

"I think I'm ready to go now..." She said quietly. Emily gently released Lena and shook her head.

"Not just yet Lena." She said. Lena gave her a questioning look as another tear fell down her face, and Emily walked past her, standing before Adam's grave. Looking back to Lena, she seemed unsure for a moment, but then nodded as she folded her hands together. Emily smiled and looked back to Adam's grave.

"Hello Adam. You've never met me, and you died before I could meet you. My name's Emily, I was one of Lena's friends from Primary school and upward..." She began. She inhaled and exhaled deeply before she said the next part.

"...I'm also her girlfriend of the last three years. I'm sure that hurts to hear to some degree..." She stated.

"But, I just wanted to thank you. Lena told me about how you were there for her. How much you cared for her. How much you loved her. So, I want to thank you for taking such good care of her, and supporting her despite everything." She said. Reaching up, she gently undid her scarf, pulling it free. She observed it for a moment as Lena walked up beside her, looking to the scarf as well.

"This was a gift Lena got me for Christmas last year. She zoomed across town for a long time to try and find it, but every chance she got, something got in the way. Eventually, she managed to help a family get their presents back from a thief, and one of the little girls gave the gift to her out of thanks." She said, a small smile on her face. Looking up to Lena, her smile widened as she saw her eyes widen slightly, realizing what Emily was about to do. Emily simply nodded and looked back to the headstone, and knelt down. Carefully, she wrapped the scarf around the base of the grave, and tied a gentle knot in it before standing back up to observe her work. She smiled as she saw Lena smile and bring her hands to her mouth out of the corner of her eye.

"I want you to have it Adam. As one last thank you, from both me, and from her." She said to the stone. Looking back to Lena, she noticed that she had begun crying again. Emily held out her arms, and Lena walked into them. And so there they stood, observing the headstone as the cool breeze continued, both of them content, and grateful to one who loved so unconditionally, and so purely.

 _The_ _End_

 **A/N With the story now over, I want to challenge you, my readers, to live your life loving, and accepting others for who they are, and not what they are. Whether they agree with your beliefs or not, that you would support them, love them, and never abandon them. To never strike out in hate for someone being different, or thinking differently. We were made to love, and support one another.** **God bless you all. I hope you have the best lives that you possibly can.**


End file.
